Hull City will surely be hoping Ipswich Town win race for out of contract West Brom player: View | OneFootball

Ipswich Town's interest in a West Brom player could help Hull City

While there is still some time to go until the start of the new season, it has already been something of a summer of change at Hull City.

Despite finishing seventh in the Championship last season, just three points adrift of the play-off places, the Tigers still took the decision to sack manager Liam Rosenior at the end of the campaign.

He has since been replaced by former Holstein Kiel, Stuttgart and Hamburg manager Tim Walter as the club's boss.

Having made that move, there is a good chance that Walter will want, and need, to put his own mark on the first-team squad available to him at the MKM Stadium.

Even so, there will be some players that Hull City will surely want to keep around for next season, one of which, is no doubt going to be Jacob Greaves, although he is attracting attention from elsewhere.

Ipswich Town keen on Jacob Greaves as Kieran McKenna looks to build Premier League squad

Having come through the youth ranks with the Tigers, Greaves has, with the exception of a loan spell with Cheltenham Town in the 2019/20, spent his entire career with his boyhood club.

During that time, he has made over 200 appearances in all competitions for Hull, earning the role of vice captain following a string of excellent performances in recent times.

However, that is starting to attract plenty of attention in him, with reports from The Athletic claiming that newly promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town are in talks over a deal for Greaves.

It is suggested that the Tractor Boys opened talks over a potential £10million deal for the centre back, which is said to be some way below Hull's valuation.

Even so, this interest is going to put pressure on the Tigers when it comes to the future of Greaves, especially if Ipswich do up their interest with an improved proposal.

As a result, there is an argument that Hull may now be hoping that Ipswich instead focus more on their apparent interest in a player who is about to be out of contract at another Championship club, in the form of West Brom.

As well as Greaves, another Championship centre back that Ipswich have been linked with this summer is Cedric Kipre.

Having enjoyed an excellent campaign with West Brom, in which they reached the play-offs only to lose in the semi-final to Southampton, it has been reported that the Tractor Boys, along with the likes of Strasbourg and Trabzonspor, are now taking an interest in the Ivorian.

Consequently, Hull will surely now be hoping that Ipswich go on to win that transfer battle, in order to give themselves a boost when it comes to the future of Greaves.

If Kieran McKenna's side were to bring Kipre to Portman Road this summer, then it could ease the pressure on them to go out and bring in another centre back, such as the Hull City man.

Indeed, given his contract at The Hawthorns is expiring this summer, Kipre could well be available on a free transfer at this point.

That makes him a more affordable target for Ipswich than Greaves, which may push them in the direction of the West Brom man, as it will help them keep funds available for other potential signings too.

Meanwhile, Kipre himself may feel he still has a point to prove by showing what he can do in the Premier League, having missed out on the chance to do that earlier in his West Brom career.

As a result, there is an argument that a move for the Ivorian from West Brom to Ipswich this summer, could make sense for both parties, that they may now want to get done.

Given that in-turn it could potentially boost their chances of keeping one of their own key men in the shape of Greaves, those at Hull City will no doubt be hoping that does indeed prove to be the case, and whilst there's a chance that Ipswich may want BOTH defenders, it's more likely that just one will suffice.